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Does Cucumber Keep Cats Away? (Spoiler Alert: Shocking!)

If you have some crops in your garden you don’t want your cat to touch, or other items precious to you, you may have wondered if it’s true if cucumbers will keep cats away…

Does cucumber keep cats away?

Cucumbers can keep cats away. They have known to be used in gardens to fend off unwanted cats, or an owner’s cat away from their treasured crops. However, these cucumbers rot quite quickly so they are not a good long-term solution.

So, now you know. But, is it bad to scare them in this way? What does this cucumber do to cats? Why do cats fear cucumbers? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

Is it bad to scare your cat with a cucumber?

It is bad to scare cats with a cucumber. In particular, approaching them with a cucumber unannounced when they are doing nothing wrong. One could argue using it as a deterrent in a garden is acceptable.

Furthermore, some say that experts have stated that it is not good practice to scare your cat with these cucumbers.

What does cucumber do to cats?

Cucumbers have an instant and harsh reaction from a cat. In particular, they are known to jump in the air and run away with urgency. It is such a strong response it has led to many viral videos showing the reaction.

Apart from these viral videos, there are even threads on Reddit cataloging these reactions.

Is there anything else that will keep cats away?

Apart from cucumber, other alternatives keep cats away such as lavender or rue. The extra benefit of this herb is they will not just repel cats they help with other insects that are known to destroy a gardener’s crops.

Other options include citrus sprays (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), for example, bitter lemon. This works because cats hate citrus.  And, these sprays can be used on many surfaces around your home to cat-proof them.

Do cats like eating cucumbers?

Some cats do eat cucumbers, even though they are scared of them. But, most cats do not like eating fruit or veg directly. However, it is a rich source of nutrients such as vitamins.

Why Do Cats Fear Cucumber?

Cats fear cucumbers because, at a glance, they look like a snake (in their mind). The reality is, anything that is vaguely resembling a snake will strike immense fear into cats. Especially, when they are surprised by this object. For example, if a cucumber is placed behind a cat.

Now you understand why cats are so scared of cucumbers, let me explain why so many people are fascinated with this, why videos of this are going viral, why it’s not a good idea to scare them with cucumbers, and more.

The Cats & Cucumber Viral Phenomenon

There is a weird phenomenon with cats and cucumbers that has some people in hysterics, and others watching in disgust. It revolves around cats getting totally freaked out by cucumbers. But why is this?

In reality, it’s not the cucumber per se. It could be any unknown object that invokes a defensive mechanism in a cat. It is believed that it could be because the cat instantly assumes it’s a snake and runs for its life, wouldn’t you?

So, what actually happens to the cat when you do this?

You may be curious, thinking, “What actually happens, when you do it doh?”

Let me put you out of your curiosity:

As you can see, this video does a lot more justice than my words can do.  Their reaction is quite drastic and it gets the attention of its viewers. Maybe you can see why many people are talking about it.

But, what is the fascination with cats & cucumbers?

Le’ts be honest, we live in a world of virality, fake news, and sensationalized headlines. People have short attention spans and want fast media to kill time. But, what has this got to do with cats & cucumbers?

Well, these videos win people’s attention, these videos of cats getting freaked out get viral views (take the video above for example.

So, people find these videos and the reaction from these cats funny. For the video creators, it’s quick to create these videos and get views, are you with me?

Why you should NOT scare cats with Cucumbers

You may find these antics with cats and cucumbers interesting, or even funny. However, in this section, I am going to explain why it is not a good idea to scare these cats.

Would you like it?

Unfortunately, it is not that great for cats. And, what happens, as you have seen, is a drastic reaction. Think about if you were woken up at 3:25 AM with a cold bucket of water in the face, would you like it?

What might happen?

The dangers of this is the follow on effects of the cat getting scared (click here to see why cats get scared easily). Firstly the cat may break something in your house. Could it be your precious ornament in your dining room (Click here if your cat is messing with your tablecloth too)? or knock down your Xbox gaming system and cost you hundreds in replacement costs? You with me?

Aside from the damage to objects in your home. There is potential damage to other people in your home. The cat could scare or injure a child.

Effects on the cat

And finally, the effects on the cat itself. firstly it could injure itself trying to get away. And it can also lead to long-term stress or anxiety issues (click here to see my best 3 Pheromone Collars for Aggressive or anxious cats).

Is Cucumber Bad for cats?

You may be wondering, with all these freaky reactions to cucumbers, would it be right to assume that cucumbers are bad for cats? No, they are not. But, let me explain.

Cats can actually eat cucumbers. But, the reality is not many will actually want to eat it. Even if you cut it up into bite-size cubes and totally disassociate it from a snake-looing figure, the chances are, they still won’t eat it.

The interesting thing is, even more cats will refuse to eat fruits as well. Even though they are a nutritious source of body water and vitamins.

You can try your cat with a few vegetables to see how they react. You could try some broccoli or even some asparagus, for example.

Related Questions:

In this section, I will answer some related questions about cats and cucumbers. If you feel there are some related questions, in your mind, that you feel that I have missed, please drop me a comment below.

Q: Why do cats hate closed doors?

It’s a combination of curiosity, territorial issues, and unconditional love for their owners. But, let me break this down…

Curiosity

Ever heard the term, “Curiosity kill the cat?”. Well, this is similar. Cats hate being left out, and not knowing what’s going on the other side. Hence the hate for doors.

The sheer curiosity will drive them mad and will mean they will keep harassing you for entry.

Territorial Issues

Cats are a bit like dogs, in some ways. What? Wait, let me explain. They love to claim and mark areas as their territory, right?

Therefore, when there is a closed-door, your cat will be upset and offended. In fact, she will demand entry. Why? Because, in her head, this is her territory. Regardless if you are paying the rent (a bit like kids, right?).

Unconditional love

If you are on the other side of a closed door. The reality is your cat will be beating down the door. Why? Because she loves you, in fact, this love is unconditional (next level).

The closed-door, in this context, is a barrier between you and them, again, a bit like a child, right?

Q: What smells do cats hate?

If you have seen a weird reaction from your cat, after they smelled or came into contact with an item or food, you may be wondering why is that. For that reason, I will explain a couple of known items that cats dislike.

Citrus Smells

Cats do not like citrus smells (Why Do Cats Hate Oranges? Click here to see why). So, if your objective is to keep them happy, keep this away from them. But, what do I mean when I say citrus?

• Lemon
• Lime
• Grapefruit

These are a few examples of citrus that you need to steer clear of.

Human hair

This may be hard for you to accept this if you have not witnessed it, but according to cuteness, they do not like the smell of human hair. I would expect that you will need a big clump of human hair to trigger this reaction, e.g. a collection of hair on a hairbrush, maybe?

Q: Is it ok to leave a cat alone for a week?

The short answer to this is No! But if you are interested to understand why I say this, let me explain now.

I understand you have a holiday booked, and you are keen on leaving but have responsibilities, basically your cat.

To be honest, if you have an adult cat, you should never leave them for more than 48-hours on their own. And even that is pushing it.

If they are younger, the period of time acceptable gradually reduces. For example, if they are less than 6 months you shouldn’t leave them for more than 8 hours. And, if they are even longer, say less than 4 months the maximum is really 4 hours.

Obviously, these are rough guidelines. Everyone has different cats, with different requirements. And, this assumes they are in perfect health conditions. If they are sick or have disabilities, forget these timelines. They will need a lot more attention from you. So, it is not feasible to use these as a reliable guideline.